How Steroids Build Muscle
We have all heard the stories of athletes and body builders using steroids, also known as performance enhancing drugs, to build muscle and strength. Legal or not, steroids are in demand. Before you consider seeking out a steroid dealer, it is important to know how steroids build muscle. It is also important to know the risk involved with steroid use.
There are two types of steroids, anabolic and catabolic. Anabolic steroids build muscle tissue while catabolic has the opposite effect. Athletes who use steroids are opting for the anabolic type. Anabolic steroids effectively build mass in the muscle by stimulating the body to produce more protein, the building blocks of muscle tissue.
Before you can really know how steroids build muscle, you should know what steroids are. Steroids are in essence lab created hormones made from cholesterol. More specifically, steroids are chemical testosterone. Testosterone is the male sex hormone that determines reproductive and other sex characteristics. Testosterone also plays a part in the muscle formation of a man as well as his strength. Women naturally produce a small amount of testosterone as well, and some female body builders also use steroids to create muscles not typical to a woman’s natural physique.
Besides the legalities of using steroids, there are other downfalls as well. Knowing why and how steroids build muscle is only part of the big picture. You also should know the side effects that can result from taking steroids.
Males taking steroids can experience increased testicular growth, thicker and faster growing hair, and can develop a deeper, sexier voice. Great, right? Well, read on for more side effects. Males who take steroids for too long or in high amounts can contract physical conditions like baldness and breast development or the break down of the liver and jaundice. They can also develop psychological problems like depression and extreme aggression and mood swings. Sexual problems like erectile dysfunction and infertility have also been linked to steroid use. So, how steroids build muscle and how steroids affect the rest of your life should be weighed carefully.
Women already know how steroids build muscle mass and can sculpt them to look great at any competition. What they may not be aware of is that too much of a male hormone can cause developmental problems in a fetus if pregnant or soon to become pregnant. They are almost certain to have an effect on the menstrual cycle and could possibly cause infertility. Women will be prone to grow hair on their faces and chests and steroids can deepen the voice, just like in a man. Not so sexy in a woman, though.
Talk to your doctor about how steroids build muscle, and talk to your trainer if your doctor doesn’t convince you to leave them alone. Discuss steroid use with your lawyer, too – just in case. It is true how steroids build muscle, but is it worth it?